Scottish Pipe Band Technique

groovemaster_flex

groovemaster_flex

Silver Member
So I just joined a pipe band on snare and they've told me that there is a difference in technique between marching and pipeband. Kinda like... knowing only 15 letters of the English alphabet. You know some, but the number of differences is significant enough to warrant a different kind of learning.

If you know what I mean.

So I was wondering if any of you other cats know anything about pipe band technique, and if you happened to have any videos that you could show me, especially of some mass band scores.

Thanks a lot my hombres.
Peace!

Thomas
 
hey man thats cool stuff im in a pipe band too, i find that the grip consists of more finger, and less wrist. I learn lots of great stuff from the band, it helps a lot with reading and rudiments and such, enjoy yourself man its a good time.
 
zepplin92 said:
hey man thats cool stuff im in a pipe band too, i find that the grip consists of more finger, and less wrist. I learn lots of great stuff from the band, it helps a lot with reading and rudiments and such, enjoy yourself man its a good time.
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I remember something about this from a masterclass, but it was over a decade ago (i.e. find another source).

The clinician showed us how the left-hand traditional grip down-stroke relied more on the thumb than the rotation of the forearm. It's really a difficult technique for me, even today.
 
zepplin92 said:
hey man thats cool stuff im in a pipe band too, i find that the grip consists of more finger, and less wrist. I learn lots of great stuff from the band, it helps a lot with reading and rudiments and such, enjoy yourself man its a good time.
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In many cases, Highland style drummers can do this because they tend to play at a much lower volume and intensity than their marching band brethren. If you watch Kilpatrick et al play, they have a much looser - and lower - approach to the snare. Very rarely are they playing big, vertical strokes like you see the DCI guys do. They simply don't have as much need for those big, powerful forearm turns in the left hand.
 
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groovemaster_flex said:
i've been googling stuff but haven't found anything about rudiments
just a lot of band scores. =T
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If you're looking at their scores, then you're looking at their rudiments. :)

They largely use the same rudiments as the rest of us, though they tend to incorporate more of the Swiss Basel rudiments and style than North American marching bands. They use the Swiss style of notation - i.e. one hand on either side of a single stave line - as well.

I think the biggest difference isn't in the rudiments they use, but in the interpretation and application. Stylistically, they tend to a more legato approach than Drum Corps types. For instance, you'll find pipe band drummers tend to interpret their drags as closed buzzes rather than the strict two-stroke open drag you hear in "rudimental" drumming. That's not a hard, fast rule, but a tendency. They will also connect accents using buzzes and closed rolls more than Drum Corps players.

IMO - and this is only an opinion - the biggest differences are generated by the music they play. Pipe music, while used for marching (more like strolling much of the time - standard pipe band tempos are 100-108 BPM vs. the 120-132 of marching bands) is also traditionally dance music. Moreover, the predominance of 6/8 rhythms (or triplets depending on your perspective) such as the Strathspey gives a rounder, rolling feel. To accompany the whirling ornamentations of bag pipes a more lyrical and dance-like approach is necessary compared to the more militaristic and regimented style of the drum corps. You only need to watch them play, and take stock of their hand motions and technique to see the difference in approach.

That said, the best way to "get" the stuff (and I'm no expert, just a big fan) is to listen to it and watch as much of it as possible. Go see it live, and talk to the players.
 
jamesvg said:
I remember something about this from a masterclass, but it was over a decade ago (i.e. find another source).

The clinician showed us how the left-hand traditional grip down-stroke relied more on the thumb than the rotation of the forearm. It's really a difficult technique for me, even today.
Click to expand...

That's right, James. The left hand thumb is used more. The right hand should be rolled over, as you do when riding a bike, not thumb on top.
 
Yes the left hand has the larger end pad of thumb pressing down the strokes with the stick. Still use this grip today in acoustic jazz playing myself from my years of Pipe Band drumming training in my twenties.

Watch this footage of Alex Duthart the great grand master of Scottish Pipe Band drumming himself demonstrating open and closed drags at a clinic in LA in 73:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_krvdvAKz0&feature=related


Watch very carefully the grip with both hands in particular and the use and position of the pad of the thumb to lever strokes in the left hand in this type of traditional grip setting.
 
Boomka said:
If you're looking at their scores, then you're looking at their rudiments. :)

They largely use the same rudiments as the rest of us, though they tend to incorporate more of the Swiss Basel rudiments and style than North American marching bands. They use the Swiss style of notation - i.e. one hand on either side of a single stave line - as well.

I think the biggest difference isn't in the rudiments they use, but in the interpretation and application. Stylistically, they tend to a more legato approach than Drum Corps types. For instance, you'll find pipe band drummers tend to interpret their drags as closed buzzes rather than the strict two-stroke open drag you hear in "rudimental" drumming. That's not a hard, fast rule, but a tendency. They will also connect accents using buzzes and closed rolls more than Drum Corps players.

IMO - and this is only an opinion - the biggest differences are generated by the music they play. Pipe music, while used for marching (more like strolling much of the time - standard pipe band tempos are 100-108 BPM vs. the 120-132 of marching bands) is also traditionally dance music. Moreover, the predominance of 6/8 rhythms (or triplets depending on your perspective) such as the Strathspey gives a rounder, rolling feel. To accompany the whirling ornamentations of bag pipes a more lyrical and dance-like approach is necessary compared to the more militaristic and regimented style of the drum corps. You only need to watch them play, and take stock of their hand motions and technique to see the difference in approach.

That said, the best way to "get" the stuff (and I'm no expert, just a big fan) is to listen to it and watch as much of it as possible. Go see it live, and talk to the players.
Click to expand...

Very nicely put, Boomka. Our rudiments are the same, but the way they are executed is slightly different. Not on all, but some. Now, I'm an Aussie and was taught the American way of playing rudiments. Everything very open. When I joined the pipe bands I had to re-learn my rudiments! The 'drag' example is a good one. A two-stroke open drag (brrup) is pressed right down (bup). The grace notes are literally pressed into the drum and stay there while the main note is played. It is so close to a flam it isn't funny. If we want a 'brrup' sound, we play a four stroke roll (RRLR).
And yes we play fairly close to the head. The heads we use are so tight that you don't need to swing your sticks hard, and you need to leave room for accents.
All in all it's great fun, a massive learning curve, and you get to wear a skirt while going commando!
;-)
 
The right hand should be rolled over, as you do when riding a bike, not thumb on top.
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Isn't that standard marching snare technique? The thumb usage in traditional is sort of off (like earlier mentioned, in marching bands we are taught not to use the thumb, and more wrist so that powerful 12 in. strokes can be attained) Aside from this, I have always been told to play with the palms facing downward (something I have always struggled with, I marched bass (sideways stroke) played in a pit (hand more angled, more thumb up than back of hand) and jazz drumming (sort of rock, too) with about the same technique as for the pit. So basically everything I have played before goes against what I am playing now XD.
 
hmmm.

so i have the techinque pretty good.
they do some funky stuff with the rolls where they add accents that i just cant seem to get. anyone have any suggestions?

apart from that, i think my only real problem is reading the sheet music.

they have it grouped a little differently than concert and march so it's kind of awkward for me to read. :(

alas!

thanks for your help!
i guess all i have to do is practice and get a teacher :D
 
groovemaster_flex said:
they do some funky stuff with the rolls where they add accents that i just cant seem to get. anyone have any suggestions?
Click to expand...

I think you're talking about an accented roll or 'beated roll' as we call them. Try just doing a normal roll, but where your accents are there is no rebound on that beat. I've seen guys do them while trying to maintain a roll through the accent, but it can't be done properly that way.
If you slow it down, you actually are stopping the roll on the accent, then immediatly starting it again on the opposite hand. Sorry if that sounds confusing, but it's hard for me to put it into words.
Anyway, goodluck!
 
groovemaster_flex said:
hmmm.

so i have the techinque pretty good.
they do some funky stuff with the rolls where they add accents that i just cant seem to get. anyone have any suggestions?
Click to expand...

A simple exercise - play 16th notes with alternating sticking, accenting the first note. Now buzz all unnaccented notes. Keep 'em low and legato. Rudimentally speaking, this is a 7-stroke Closed Roll. But, what you need to concentrate on is the accents and continuing the hand motion.

R z z z R z z z R z z z R z z z

Now, do the same, but accenting the "&" beat. It's still a 7-Stroke Closed Roll, but now you have an accent creating tension against the downbeat.

z z R z z z R z z z R z z z R z

Now, one of each and cycle back and forth.

R z z z z z R z R z z z z z R z R z z z z z R z , etc.

Explore.

Similarly, try the same thing with triplets. Always focus on the accents and the rhythm they're creating, the buzzes need to be dropped from a very low level and serve as "connective tissue" in distinction from the approach of Drum Corps where each stroke gets counted and heard.

For a really good primer on the approach these guys are using, see if you can hunt down a copy of Alex Duthart's The Maestro - (http://www.hendersongroupltd.com/cart/pc/viewprd.asp?idcategory=206&idproduct=3255)
 
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